Because she's already gone through this memory-sharing nonsense once, blast this accursed ship. There are things about herself that no one needs to know.
Truthfully, the only reason she doesn't keep to her room is that no one wins a game by taking yourself off the board, so to speak. It will be risky, but well worth the rewards if she stays on her toes.
-- And yet:]
My...mirror...?
[She is stunned, glancing backwards in the direction of her room before very slowly stepping forward towards the ornate mirror that hangs on one of the lounge walls. Even with her entire soul warning her of the danger, Tamamo still lifts her hand as if to touch it.]
[She doesn't bother answering him. Once she's touched the mirror, they're both enveloped in a haze that's become familiar to her, and Tamamo can only sigh with a hand pressed to her forehead as her mirror crumbles to ash.
But when the scene clears, they appear to be in a festival. The ground is dirty, the tents are crude, the weather is frosty, but the people are laughing and dancing to music and drink, while some others have split from the group, walking to a nearby temple.
Whosever perspective this is -- they follow the humans who disappear into the temple, talking quietly to themselves.
"I don't know why you humans bother. It's not as if I have control over the fate of your unborn child. Gods do not work that way."
It will be obvious in an instant: the voice belongs to Tamamo. And though it will be difficult to notice, given the first-person perspective, more than three tails swing back and forth. Her voice is detached and void of all emotion. On top of that, the humans who kneel in front of an altar do not seem to notice her, as if the fox talking to them is but a ghost.
The two humans -- a couple -- ask the altar for guidance, for prosperity, for a healthy child to love and nurture. The fox's tails twitch as if in agitation.
"I do not understand either of you. Always with these prayers. What happens to your child is no concern of mine."
... And still, the couple will pray at the altar until they have placed a small offering on top, and together they leave Tamamo standing there to stare at the gift. She drops her head, staring at the floor. The tips of nine tails comes into view.
"I do not understand... likely you will both die in the winter. Your child will never know its parents, if it lives at all... Just how do humans continue to thrive like this...?"
Her voice is musing, wistful. Even sad. Tinged with a lonely jealousy.
"... Is that what love feels like, I wonder?"
The scene ends. Tamamo and Kanesan are back on the ship.]
[ the mods did say it goes both ways but let's give them a moment first. kanesan is blinking in surprise after seeing the memory, and probably staring openly at tamamo. how rude. ]
You're a spirit, too? Or... a god?
[ like. he knew she wasn't human but he never knew what that meant for her? ]
[ before he can elaborate (was he even going to?), the light of the hallway fades, replaced by the dim light of a storm. through the rain, at the top of a hill, there kneels a man in white, flanked by two guards. tamamo watches in silence, heart heavy, as one of them ties a blindfold over the man’s eyes, and begins to draw a sword -
- and suddenly sprouts a blade from his chest. tamamo’s hand goes to the sword at her side, instantly ready to fight, only to falter when a voice from her right speaks up, “Okita-kun?”
the attacker, okita souji, says, “Kondo-san, I’m sorry for being late,” before attacking the other guard as his sword gleams blood red in the gloom. tamamo finds her eyes glued to it for a moment, a dawning horror in the pit of her chest as she realizes - that must be yamatonokami, one of her own comrades. but what happened to him? what’s wrong with him - and with okita?
the yamatonokami not of the past, her comrade, starts up the hill with his partner while the others hang back, at a loss for what to do. this is their master anyway - shouldn’t those two get to decide what to do with him, as long as history is protected? and yet, as okita advances with desperate tears in his eyes, they back away.
“Kondo-san... I have to protect him. That’s my…”
he doesn’t get to finish, his voice turning to a wordless scream as he rushes forward to swing wildly. tamamo and her comrades scatter, ready to fight if necessary but unwilling to hurt someone so dear. yamatonokami tries to talk him down, to calm him when he collapses in the dirt and mud. but the words fall on deaf ears as okita attacks again, refusing to stop until kondo himself makes his way down the hill to catch the possessed blade with his own hand.
“We have fought long enough, don’t you think?” their eyes meet, and kondo continues, “You don’t have to suffer anymore.”
okita begins to argue, but kondo won’t accept it. through kanesan’s eyes, tamamo watches in stunned silence as kondo, still holding the blade, begins to force the sword into its sheath, centimeter by centimeter. while okita screams as if being tortured, the faint outline of a cat, dark as night with furious gold eyes, appears behind them - and vanishes just as quickly once the sword is fully sheathed. okita and kondo both fall to the ground, suddenly sapped of all their strength. and finally, kondo speaks.
“Let’s wait for Toshi - ” at the name, a flash of pain jolts through tamamo’s chest - “on the other side.”
...and just like that, the memory ends, and kanesan has to blink in the sudden light of the hallway. he breathes a sigh. ]
Yes... Okita was said to have been harassed by a cat, in his final days. In our original history, he wasn't possessed, but enough must have changed while we were there to allow it.
[ sigh. ]
It seems that it told him about Kondo's execution, and preyed on his desire to help his commander.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
winterfish
W3, Monday
Date: 2019-10-29 02:56 am (UTC)Because she's already gone through this memory-sharing nonsense once, blast this accursed ship. There are things about herself that no one needs to know.
Truthfully, the only reason she doesn't keep to her room is that no one wins a game by taking yourself off the board, so to speak. It will be risky, but well worth the rewards if she stays on her toes.
-- And yet:]
My...mirror...?
[She is stunned, glancing backwards in the direction of her room before very slowly stepping forward towards the ornate mirror that hangs on one of the lounge walls. Even with her entire soul warning her of the danger, Tamamo still lifts her hand as if to touch it.]
no subject
Date: 2019-10-29 03:07 am (UTC)[ he's been curious about all the new items scattered around the boat, but of course it's a mirror that catches his eye. ]
I've never seen one quite like this before. It suits you.
no subject
Date: 2019-10-29 03:56 am (UTC)But when the scene clears, they appear to be in a festival. The ground is dirty, the tents are crude, the weather is frosty, but the people are laughing and dancing to music and drink, while some others have split from the group, walking to a nearby temple.
Whosever perspective this is -- they follow the humans who disappear into the temple, talking quietly to themselves.
"I don't know why you humans bother. It's not as if I have control over the fate of your unborn child. Gods do not work that way."
It will be obvious in an instant: the voice belongs to Tamamo. And though it will be difficult to notice, given the first-person perspective, more than three tails swing back and forth. Her voice is detached and void of all emotion. On top of that, the humans who kneel in front of an altar do not seem to notice her, as if the fox talking to them is but a ghost.
The two humans -- a couple -- ask the altar for guidance, for prosperity, for a healthy child to love and nurture. The fox's tails twitch as if in agitation.
"I do not understand either of you. Always with these prayers. What happens to your child is no concern of mine."
... And still, the couple will pray at the altar until they have placed a small offering on top, and together they leave Tamamo standing there to stare at the gift. She drops her head, staring at the floor. The tips of nine tails comes into view.
"I do not understand... likely you will both die in the winter. Your child will never know its parents, if it lives at all... Just how do humans continue to thrive like this...?"
Her voice is musing, wistful. Even sad. Tinged with a lonely jealousy.
"... Is that what love feels like, I wonder?"
The scene ends. Tamamo and Kanesan are back on the ship.]
2/2
Date: 2019-10-29 03:56 am (UTC)[Heaving an exaggerated sigh.]
If you could just forget all of that nonsense you just saw, I'd deeply appreciate it, Kanesan-san~
no subject
Date: 2019-10-29 03:01 pm (UTC)You're a spirit, too? Or... a god?
[ like. he knew she wasn't human but he never knew what that meant for her? ]
no subject
Date: 2019-10-30 01:49 am (UTC)[Slight correction there, but it's a pointed one]
Threw away my divinity and memories for a little fun~ You know how fickle gods can be, neh?
[She doesn't actually know, but her head tilts in question anyway]
no subject
Date: 2019-10-31 02:13 am (UTC)[ before he can elaborate (was he even going to?), the light of the hallway fades, replaced by the dim light of a storm. through the rain, at the top of a hill, there kneels a man in white, flanked by two guards. tamamo watches in silence, heart heavy, as one of them ties a blindfold over the man’s eyes, and begins to draw a sword -
- and suddenly sprouts a blade from his chest. tamamo’s hand goes to the sword at her side, instantly ready to fight, only to falter when a voice from her right speaks up, “Okita-kun?”
the attacker, okita souji, says, “Kondo-san, I’m sorry for being late,” before attacking the other guard as his sword gleams blood red in the gloom. tamamo finds her eyes glued to it for a moment, a dawning horror in the pit of her chest as she realizes - that must be yamatonokami, one of her own comrades. but what happened to him? what’s wrong with him - and with okita?
the yamatonokami not of the past, her comrade, starts up the hill with his partner while the others hang back, at a loss for what to do. this is their master anyway - shouldn’t those two get to decide what to do with him, as long as history is protected? and yet, as okita advances with desperate tears in his eyes, they back away.
“Kondo-san... I have to protect him. That’s my…”
he doesn’t get to finish, his voice turning to a wordless scream as he rushes forward to swing wildly. tamamo and her comrades scatter, ready to fight if necessary but unwilling to hurt someone so dear. yamatonokami tries to talk him down, to calm him when he collapses in the dirt and mud. but the words fall on deaf ears as okita attacks again, refusing to stop until kondo himself makes his way down the hill to catch the possessed blade with his own hand.
“We have fought long enough, don’t you think?” their eyes meet, and kondo continues, “You don’t have to suffer anymore.”
okita begins to argue, but kondo won’t accept it. through kanesan’s eyes, tamamo watches in stunned silence as kondo, still holding the blade, begins to force the sword into its sheath, centimeter by centimeter. while okita screams as if being tortured, the faint outline of a cat, dark as night with furious gold eyes, appears behind them - and vanishes just as quickly once the sword is fully sheathed. okita and kondo both fall to the ground, suddenly sapped of all their strength. and finally, kondo speaks.
“Let’s wait for Toshi - ” at the name, a flash of pain jolts through tamamo’s chest - “on the other side.”
...and just like that, the memory ends, and kanesan has to blink in the sudden light of the hallway. he breathes a sigh. ]
So it goes both ways...
no subject
Date: 2019-11-01 02:51 am (UTC)The shift in perspective means she's a little dazed by the end, but her expression knits for a second after that.]
... Did I just witness a possession?
[Given all the nonsense on this ship? Yes, Tamamo is narrowing in on that first.]
no subject
Date: 2019-11-01 03:00 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-11-01 03:27 am (UTC)[Her mouth pulls into a frown]
Not that I am well-versed in those types of possession, but bakenekos are quite devious when left unattended.
no subject
Date: 2019-11-04 09:06 pm (UTC)[ sigh. ]
It seems that it told him about Kondo's execution, and preyed on his desire to help his commander.